Latin America’s new birth of democracy

To imagine all Latin American countries being governed by a republican order respectful of freedom and democracy seems utopian.

- ENRIQUE KRAUZE

It shouldn’t. Latin Americans established precisely such an order for themselves 200 years ago after gaining independence from Spain and Portugal.The continent's own founding fathers—including Andrés Bello, Simón Bolívar, Juan Bautista Alberdi, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, and José María Luis Mora—took inspiration from those of the United States. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were still alive when Latin Americans achieved independence from Spain, and the region's first constitutions duly recognized the essential elements of any republic: separation of powers, the rule of law, civil liberties, a free press, and regular elections.

While some of these republics were more enduring and successful than others (those in Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, Costa Rica, and, for long periods, Argentina), all ultimately proved unstable and fragile. There were many ruptures, not so much because the founding ideals were abandoned, but because three other baleful influences prevailed.

America preferred to support dictators. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt allegedly said of the Nicaraguan strongman Anastasio Somoza, “He may be a son of a bitch, but he's our son of a bitch.”

Starting in the 1980s, a miracle occurred in Latin America: almost every country made a peaceful transition back to its democratic republican roots.